Even as we begin to exhale as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza seems to hold for now, we know that something essential remains unsettled. The last two years have not only reshaped the State of Israel but also transformed the relationship between it and the Jewish world.

What began as a moment of shared mourning with Jews everywhere—united in grief after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023—has, over time, turned into estrangement. Israelis felt abandoned by Diaspora Jews who publicly criticized it in the midst of abject trauma and loss. Meanwhile, Diaspora Jews felt alienated from a country they love but could not defend without betraying their conscience. What was once a bond of mutual pride and responsibility has frayed into suspicion and pain

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